NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana – Redshirt freshman quarterback Trevor Knight, who had attempted just 90 passes in seven games this season, threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns to lead 16-point underdog Oklahoma to a 45-31 upset of Alabama on Thursday night in the Sugar Bowl.

FINAL: Oklahoma 45, Alabama 31

Knight was named the game’s MVP.

“It’s been truly a special year and I’m just happy for our seniors to go out this way,” he said. “We’ve been underdogs all year long. To come out here and show the year the Sooners are back is truly something special tonight.”

Both teams end the season 11-2 after the game, and Bob Stoops became the first coach to win all four BCS bowl games and a national championship. Read Andrew Gribble’s game story here.

“We probably gained enough yards but we had four turnovers that led to 28 points. … Those things were probably a big difference in the game,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said in the post-game press conference. “You’ve got to give Oklahoma's team a lot of credit. They were fired up and ready to play, like most teams we play. Everybody’s got something to prove when they play against Alabama.”

Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron took the blame for the loss, saying: “Put it all on me. I had two turnovers, they ended up scoring 14 points (off those turnovers) and we lost by 14. … I’ll definitely take the loss and definitely take the blame.”

But Kevin Norwood, sitting next to him in the press conference, interrupted: “It’s not just a one-man team. We all win and lose together. AJ can't put that all on himself; I can’t let him do that.”

McCarron completed 19 of 30 passes for 387 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in his final game at Alabama, breaking the school single-season passing yardage record with 3,063. Freshman Derrick Henry ran for 100 yards and a touchdown on eight carries and also caught a 61-yard touchdown pass. Amari Cooper caught nine passes for 121 yards and DeAndrew White had three catches for 139 yards and a score.

Knight was the story for the Oklahoma offense, completing 32 of 44 passes for 348 yards, four TDs and one interception. His four TD passes were the most in OU history in a bowl game and tied for most in Sugar Bowl history with Florida State's Chris Weinke (2000) and Illinois' Kurt Kittner (2002).

“I think he showed the whole country what we’ve been watching for two years ... that the game has started to slow down for him where he's really starting to feel comfortable in what he can do,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said of Knight.

Stoops added that his defense’s pressure on A.J. McCarron -- the Sooners sacked him seven times -- also was a major factor. "I thought defensively, our pressure was exceptional," he said. "We were on the quarterback all game. ... I thought my brother Mike (OU's defensive coordinator) and the defensive coaches, with our blitzes, were really timed up well and executed well, got to him and forced them into some bad plays."

Final total yardage totals were 516 yards for Alabama and 429 for Oklahoma. Alabama outgained the Sooners 129-81 on the ground and 387-348 through the air, but turned the ball over four times to only one for the Sooners. Oklahoma had 24 first downs to Alabama's 20.

Asked about his statements earlier this year referring to the perception that the SEC is dominant as "propaganda," Stoops said: "I'm not going to expound on that. I won't have to dodge any punches, I guess, you could say that. But I would say, as I started off, I have the utmost respect for Alabama, and I think this shows that obviously we can play with anybody. So enough of that. ... But I think sometimes the comparisons aren't necessarily very true."

Sooner defensive back Aaron Colvin had his own response via Twitter, however:

-- Kicking off from within their own red zone due to a pair of penalties, Oklahoma recovers an onside/squib kick and takes a knee to end the game.

Oklahoma 45, Alabama 31 (4th | 0:47)

-- Oklahoma outside linebacker Eric Striker beats Cyrus Kouandjio and sacks AJ McCarron, stripping the football, which Geneo Grissom scoops and carries into the end zone for a 8-yard touchdown.

Oklahoma 38, Alabama 31 (4th | 6:22)

-- Derrick Henry takes a pass from AJ McCarron 61 yards for his second score of the night to put Alabama within striking distance. The drive went for five plays and 74 yards. Henry has 161 total yards (100 rushing, 61 receiving) and two touchdowns.

-- Both QBs are over 300 yards (323 for Knight, 387 for McCarron), a first in Sugar Bowl history.

Oklahoma 38, Alabama 24 (4th | 10:44)

-- Sterling Shepard hangs out in the back of the end zone by himself while Trevor Knight rolls out, escaping pressure, and Knight finally finds him with a 9-yard touchdown pass to extend Oklahoma’s lead. The drive covers 76 yards in eight plays and is punctuated by a 34-yard completion to Lacoltan Bester on third-and-15.

For Alabama, AJ McCarron is 14 of 21 for 301 yards, one TD and two interceptions. T.J. Yeldon has carried 11 times for 47 yards and one TD. Amari Cooper has caught five passes for 96 yards. DeAndrew White has caught three passes for 139 yards and one TD.

For Oklahoma, Trevor Knight is 18 of 23 for 206 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Brennan Clay has rushed six times for 24 yards. Jalen Saunders has caught five passes for 75 yards and two TDs. Lacoltan Bester has caught five passes for 71 yards and one TD.

Nick Saban at halftime: “We haven’t played very well on defense. We haven’t stopped them when we had the opportunity. We have to tackle better. We have to play better. We have to play our responsibility better. We have a couple players nicked up or kind of banged up in the secondary, so that’s not helping us any. We’ve got an opportunity to win the game, but we have to play the game to win the game.”

Oklahoma 31, Alabama 17 (2nd | 1:05)

-- Two plays turned this into a two-touchdown lead for Oklahoma. First, Zack Sanchez sat on a route and waited for the blitz to force a quick throw, stepping in front of Amari Cooper and returning the interception 43 yards to the Alabama 14. Then, Sterling Shepard, back after a quick trip to the locker room earlier in the period, raced around right end for the touchdown on the next play.

Oklahoma 24, Alabama 17 (2nd | 2:59)

-- Jalen Saunders gets behind Deion Belue to haul in a 43-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Knight to cap a seven-play, 66-yard drive and give Oklahoma the lead. Knight, who had thrown just 90 passes in seven games this season, is now 18-of-23 for 206 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Alabama 17, Oklahoma 17 (2nd | 5:26)

-- T.J. Yeldon fumbles just inside the 10, forced by Dominique Alexander. Oklahoma defensive end Geneo Grissom picks up the loose ball and returns it to the Sooners’ 34 before he’s tackled by O.J. Howard.

Alabama 17, Oklahoma 17 (2nd | 11:45)

-- Oklahoma’s Michael Hunnicutt hits a 47-yard field goal, capping a six-play 25-yard drive. Roy Finch set up the march with a 30-yard kickoff return.

-- Oklahoma WR Sterling Shepard has gone to the locker room.

Alabama 17, Oklahoma 14 (2nd | 14:03)

-- AJ McCarron goes up top to DeAndrew White for a 67-yard touchdown down the middle of the field. The play capped a five-play, 80-yard drive that included the first carries of the game (two for 11 yards) from Derrick Henry.

-- Trevor Knight hits Jalen Saunders with an 8-yard dart to give Oklahoma its first lead. The score capped a 13-plays, 78-yard drive. Knight is now 11-of-14 for 111 yards, two TDs and one interception.

Alabama 10, Oklahoma 7 (1st | 7:02)

-- Big cheer for Cade Foster, who hits a 27-yard field goal to cap a six-play, 65-yard drive. The big play was a 63-yard completion from AJ McCarron to DeAndrew White. It’s Foster’s first field goal since the Mississippi State game on Nov. 16.

Alabama 7, Oklahoma 7 (1st | 9:43)

-- AJ McCarron gave the ball back on the first play, throwing into triple coverage and getting picked off by Gabe Lynn at the Alabama 45.

-- Oklahoma scored on the very next play, as Trevor Knight hit Lacoltan Bester down the right sideline and Bester tip-toed down the sideline for a 45-yard touchdown.

Alabama 7, Oklahoma 0 (1st | 10:03)

-- Landon Collins picks off a Knight pass that skipped off Jalen Saunders’ hands. Alabama has the ball at its own 24.

Alabama 7, Oklahoma 0 (1st | 13:11)

– T.J. Yeldon scores from 1 yard out. The big play in a four-play, 75-yard opening drive was a 53-yard catch and run by Amari Cooper from AJ McCarron.

-- Trevor Knight starts at quarterback for Oklahoma.

Pre-game observations on Alabama from Andrew Gribble

-- Alabama RG Anthony Steen is here and was conversing with his teammates as they trickled onto the field. Steen's left arm was in a sling after undergoing shoulder surgery.

-- Freshman LB Walker Jones won't be dressed out tonight because of an injury to his left arm, which was also in a sling. Jones has not played this season and will redshirt.

-- DL Wilson Love is not dressed out.

Also, OG Leon Brown and CB Eddie Jackson are working with the first team and S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is running during warm-ups and does not appear limited.

Pre-game observations on Oklahoma from Mike Herndon

From the Oklahoma side, we’ve been told all week the Sooners were experimenting with combinations on the offensive line. The group working together in warm-ups is: Gabe Ikard at center, Daryl Williams at left tackle, Bronson Irwin at right tackle, Nila Kasitati at right guard and little-used Dionte Savage at left guard. Blake Bell is out first with them at quarterback. We'll know more when starting lineups are announced.

This is the 15th straight year that Oklahoma has earned a bowl bid under Bob Stoops.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:38 p.m., and the game is being televised on ESPN. The officials are from the ACC, led by head referee Brad Allen.

Oklahoma won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Alabama will receive the opening kickoff. There are quite a few empty seats in the upper deck.